A Wish Granted - One Magical Morning Photopass PICS! 10/12

[JPFamilyMom]

Oh goodness!!

Go to sleep!

Tomorrow I should be able to post at least an introduction worth reading!

I really want to be able to get the pictures from Lucas' family - which could take a few days...But I hope to start on at least the background about how this even was able to happen at all by tomorrow sometime!!

Well I am very anxious, but I'll have more time over the weekend to read, so if it took you a couple days I could let it slide this time

 

[StefaniLyn]

Well I am very anxious, but I'll have more time over the weekend to read, so if it took you a couple days I could let it slide this time

noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

 

[AshClan]

I'm in too! Can't wait!!

 

[Fairy Godnana]

I'm in!! Been lurking for a while, but love the your wish trip reports!!!

 

[RobinHoodGirl]

Sounds like this will be a great story! I'm in

 

[teekee2]

I'm in!! Been lurking for a while, but love the your wish trip reports!!!

I too have been lurking and am in and anxiously awaiting to hear about the trip!!

 

[thesaurinis]

waiting to read more.

 

[If U Had Wings]

I'm here, a bit late, but here.

 

[cajunfan]

Do we have a "impatiently tapping foot" smilie?

Can't wait to hear all about it! Are we having to wait until after they get home tomorrow?

Lynn

 

[maroo]

I PROMISE...

I will have something posted tonight! To at least get us started on this little trip report!

And I am planning about 10 chapters...so this won't all roll out at once...I gotta do this one justice and make sure I spell everything right!

Meanwhile...I am eating all of your popcorn!



since I don't drink coffee....

 

[cajunfan]

Here is all the popcorn you could want...just keep writing!!!

 

[maroo]

First a little background...

And I promise - as soon as we can get started on the days events, I will!

But this should help explain how this day came together.


First, I should probably introduce myself - for those of you guys that don't know me. (SO sorry to those of you guys that have heard this story a million times!)

Some of you may be wondering why I am telling this story. Who IS this person???

I want to emphasize, that I am just reporting the story. I don't work for Make a Wish, Disney or Give Kids the World (although I would love to work for all three!)

I am just a regular person that was very, very fortunate to be able to participate, but it is not at all about me – it is a story about a little boy’s courage and the kindness of many, many people! There are several people that will be highlighted in this story….and one, in particular, is anonymous.

I am introducing myself first to get myself out of the way - because this story is not about me! In fact...as you will soon learn...I hoped to literally be in the background the whole time and just recording a short tour for the family.


I am maroo. AKA - Maroo. A few people in this world insist on calling me by my name, which is Mary. But many of my friends in real life actually call me Maroo.

I am single. No kids. I have a regular day job. My second "job" is taking care of Lauren and Rachel - two of my friends who happen to be disabled and need an extra hand every now and then. I get paid to help them. Which is a joke, because I would gladly pay for the opportunity - but it does fund my Disney addiction, so I will take it, I suppose. And I spend a LOT of time on the DIS!!! A lot.

My friendship with Lauren enabled me to attend to her medical needs on her Make-a-Wish trip. I helped plan her trip, found the DIS, fell in love with Disney World, got addicted to the DIS, and now help other families plan their wish trips. (I love the DIS and what they do to help Wish Kids plan these special trips!)

Wish trips are hard to plan because they have limited time to see the parks, extra activities at Give Kids the World (a resort for Wish Kids that may just deserve a whole trip report), and park tickets to Disney, Sea World AND Universal. That is a LOT to fit in to just 5 full days.

It is a logic problem just to figure out what days are best for each park and fit in the GKTW parties, extra planned activities, etc. And, of course, consider each family’s extra needs when traveling with a special needs child. These are complicated trips.

And many of these families don't even have the time to plan their trips at all - their sick children require their time and attention that they may otherwise use to plan their once-in-a-lifetime vacation.

So, I try to help them plan. And that is how I got involved in this story...so, now that we have established that...let's move on to the FUN part!!


Click HERE to CONTINUE: Lucas, his family and his WISH!

 

[Dreamer & Wisher]

Great Start~

 

[maroo]

Lucas, his Family and His WISH…


Let me introduce you to Lucas and his family.

You can check out his complete story on their pre-trip report - written by his Mom. You may notice that very little, if anything, was said about the plans for this wonderful morning - because a lot of it was last minute and a complete surprise to all of us.

Click HERE to read the PRE-Trip Report about their trip!

Lucas is 7 years old (or 8????). His little brother is Alex! And he has two awesome parents!

The short story is that Lucas has a disease called (Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis). LCH is disease caused by too many histiocytes, a type of white blood cell, that cluster together and destroy healthy tissues and organs such as skin, bone, lung, liver, eyes, ears, and the central nervous system.

The treatment for this disease includes chemotherapy that is normally used to treat cancer. Lucas has been on chemo a year - once a week for 52 weeks and will be on maintenance chemotherapy for a while.

Lucas has taken this all in stride. He is a very brave boy. While they normally sedate children his age for the scans and tests he regularly has to check the progress of his treatment – he “did some research” and figured out what each test was for, how it was done, and decided he was not scared of the tests. He could do them without the medicine.

He charms his chemo nurses. Always entertaining them with stories and making them laugh. His enthusiasm, even in the face of such a serious illness, is contagious. If you met him in the grocery store, you might not even know he was sick.

Don't be fooled by his full head of hair - his chemo does not cause his hair to fall out. (Thankfully! But I am telling you guys this because I used to think that all chemo made your hair fall out?) Lucas looks healthy – he can walk – even run. But he tires very easily (which is the purpose of the wheelchair in the parks!)



Lucas' wish was to "See the Steam Trains in Disney World." Lucas is a BIG steam train fan. He loves steam trains. He reads books about steam trains. He researches steam trains. He loves steam trains! So, when the Make a Wish folks came by and told him he was going to Disney World - his first thought was how excited he was going to be to learn about the steam trains!

Make a Wish tried to book the official Steam Train Tour for Lucas and his family and was told by Disney that the tour was restricted to children 10 and older.

During the planning process, his Mom and I talked on the phone a few times. It was one of these first conversations that she explained that his original wish was to learn about the steam trains and go on a special tour, but then she explained why he could not go.

I told her, "Just tell them he is 10! They won't ever know?" I was so frustrated to think this little boy would not get his wish on a technicality.

His Mom was wisely not too excited about the thought of lying to Disney.



I posted a thread on the DISboards Theme Park Board asking if anyone had been on the tour. I was seeking information about the tour, why it may be restricted to adults and wanted to know if ID was required for the kids to prove they were indeed 10 years old.

A very, very kind DISer saw my post and PM’d me. She was intimately familiar with the tour and had contacts in high places in the steam train world at Disney. She wrote some emails. Maybe made some phone calls? But SHE is the star of this story. She may come by later and introduce herself…or she may not. But she is the reason Lucas was able to see his wish fulfilled and I am forever grateful. And to say that his family will be forever grateful is an understatement!



The people she contacted at Disney contacted me and over the course of several weeks we worked out a time when they would be able to have their very own, private, steam train tour! It would not be the full tour (as that tour is not currently being offered), but it would be guided by a REAL Steam Train Engineer!



Lucas was so excited about this! I was able to tell him the good news over the phone. And he was so cute….he was so excited and just goes on and on talking about the trains he loves (using words I don’t really understand – Lucas will be one fine engineer one day!)



As a huge bonus – I was going to be at Disney the same time they would. After discussing it with Lucas and his Mom, I told Disney that I would be attending the tour as well, but not as a participant – as a photographer! I wanted his family to be able to just enjoy the tour and not see it from behind a camera lens. If I could hang out in the background and take pictures – it would help the family AND I would get the major bonus of actually seeing his wish granted. What an awesome moment!


So that is where this story begins….A Steam Train Tour is on the agenda.




But the week before we were set to travel to Disney – I received an email from Disney with a bit of extra information. First – they wanted us there at …..






6:30 AM!









Yes, I almost fainted! That is 5:30 AM Central Time – quite early!

They said they had some “extra” stuff planned and needed us there early! Can you guys be there that early???





Uh…let me think…. YES! We will see you guys at 6:30 in the morning at the Magic Kingdom gates!



Click here for the next chapter: The Steam Train Engineer and a REAL Spike!

 

[Rebecuberduber]

Wow, this is awesome. God bless your persistence in orchestrating his wish!! I'm so happy they had your help in this and that you didn't give up! I can't wait to hear what happens!!

 

[cajunfan]

YEAH!!! A Start to the story! I can't wait to see how you get to MK at 6:30 am! I had to be behind the TTC before the start of the marathon one year (voluntearing!) and had a hard time with that!!

Lynn

 

[MRYPPNS]

I have goosebumps just thinking about what Disney could have in store for Lucas at 630am!

 

[that's nice]

What a great start!!! I already have chills reading this! I cannot wait to hear more!!!!

BTW welcome back Maroo!!!!

 

[Dani C]

I am so glad they chose to grant this special wish. Thank you maroo for the report and also for helping Lucas and his family with the photos.

 

[AnneR]

Maroo -

I'm in. The tears are flowing just from your introduction. How wonderful for Lucas to get his wish.

Keep it coming.[/COLOR][/COLOR]